Successful Practices & Strategies Vol. 1 | No. 1

Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office

Jefferson, Ohio

www.ashtabulacountysheriff.org

Community policing element

Problem Solving

Problem/issue

Drug trafficking

Community policing strategies implemented

The Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) takes a “proactive” approach by acting upon tips, 

examining pharmaceutical logs, doing knock and talk encounters on suspected meth houses, using social 

media as a tool, and being aware of those persons involved in this type of activity prior to and after 

being released from incarceration, including information sharing among local law enforcement agencies. 

The ACSO is proactive with traffic enforcement in high crime (drug) areas, resulting at times in mobile 

meth labs and users being discovered. 

Due to the high incidence of meth use and manufacturing in the area, in 2007 the ACSO partnered with 

the Ohio Attorney General, City of Akron, and Highland and Clermont Counties and was awarded a meth 

enforcement grant from the COPS Office that allowed the ACSO to work overtime on the problem, to

buy equipment necessary for enforcement, and to partner with the state’s Attorney General’s office and 

other Ohio communities to combat the meth problem in the area. The Ohio Attorney General was able 

to introduce and pass legislation on the limits of pseudoephedrine purchases and on documenting the 

names and birthdates of people purchasing these over the counter drugs from “mom and pop” stores 

and chain pharmacies and placing those names on records that can be accessed by law enforcement 

through a database, or manual search of the records when requested, thus allowing the ACSO to cross 

check names with local meth users and manufacturers. 

The current COPS Hiring Grant has allowed the ACSO to maintain its shift strengths and enhance its Drug 

Task Force with experienced officers to combat this and other drug problems. The ACSO has also

expanded its partnership with the local mental health board in an attempt to reduce recidivism through 

assessment and behavioral changes of those whose lives and criminal conduct involve drug crimes.

Change and/or impact as a result of these community policing efforts

As a result, 62 clandestine meth labs have been found and eradicated, and 154 felony arrests have been 

made for manufacturing and possessing chemicals to manufacture, thus preventing deaths, injuries, and 

other crimes related to these activities. Additionally, the ACSO has partnered with local mental health 
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and drug treatment providers to conduct substance abuse treatment programs in the ACSO’s jail for

individuals sentenced for drug-related offenses, with the emphasis on re-entry to reduce recidivism for 

drug offenses.

The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an 

endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement 

discussion of the issues. 

The Internet references cited in this document were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in 

constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services can vouch for their current validity. 

Published 2014